Euphorbia pulcherrima. 
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Eckalveenxe2x80x99.
The new Poinsettia a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Eckada, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,124. The new Poinsettia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant within a population of plants of the cultivar Eckada in November, 1998 in a controlled environment in Oxnard, Calif.
Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by terminal cuttings taken at Encinitas, Calif., since December, 1998, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Eckalveenxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Eckalveenxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Large inflorescences with bright red-colored flower bracts.
2. Dark green-colored leaves with red-colored petioles.
3. Uniform and mounded plant habit.
4. Early flowering, natural season flower maturity date is November 20 for plants grown in Encinitas, Calif.; response time, about 8 weeks.
5. Excellent post-production longevity.
Plants of the new Poinsettia are most similar to plants of the parent, the cultivar Eckada. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Eckada in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were not as freely branching as plants of the cultivar Eckada.
2. Plants of the new Poinsettia had larger leaves than plants of the cultivar Eckada.
3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Poinsettia had larger flower bracts than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Eckada.
4. Plants of the new Poinsettia flowered about one week earlier than plants of the cultivar Eckada.